Brooke Powers, a seventh-grade math teacher at Beaumont Middle School in Lexington, Kentucky, knows how to motivate her students to learn. The math department chair and district liaison seeks out creative and cutting-edge teaching techniques, holding “Find the Flub Days” to work on identifying and correcting mistakes and distributing “Take-Home Tool Kits” that include paper algebra tiles and rulers. Students pay close attention when Powers uses Cheetos to demonstrate the concept of surface area. Lessons include iPads, a Smart Board and cell phones, which students use to respond to Powers’ questions and solve math problems. The “Math Night” event Powers created and implemented has become a favorite with Beaumont families.
Powers has a reputation for being able to move any student at any level forward. But math skills are only one piece of Powers’ puzzle: She wants her students to learn to communicate, think critically and excel at problem-solving. Powers’ students average 1.5 years of growth on MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessments, with struggling learners showing two years’ growth. On the 2015 K-PREP state assessments, 75% of her students reached Proficient or Distinguished levels.
Powers writes a math education blog and participates in multiple online math education groups. She has presented within Kentucky and nationwide at conferences, including for the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, on topics including instructional practices, motivating struggling learners, and standards-based grading. Powers has also written numerous articles for publications like Kentucky Teacher and Educators for High Standards. A gifted mentor, she is the facilitator for the Fayette County New Teacher Induction Program and has prepared numerous new educators in several districts for successful careers.
Powers earned a bachelor’s in 2005 in agricultural communication, education and leadership from the University of Kentucky and a master’s in teacher leadership from Eastern Kentucky University in 2013.
Press release: Math multiplier effect: Brooke Powers earns $25,000 Milken Educator Award
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